Gestational Diabetes

By: Justin

Gestational Diabetes:

Is any degree of glucose intolerance with first recognition during pregnancy. These women develop gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28. This would be around the end of the second trimester and begging of the third .There is about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year. Any women who is at the age of 25 or who has type 2 diabetes running in the family have a greater risk of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes on the inside:

Gestational Diabetes occurs when the placenta gives off hormones and these hormones pass through the mothers womb and into her blood stream. The placenta gives off both estrogen and corasol which react with the productiveness of the mothers insulin. The hormones can not be stopped with out causing the baby damage. The Placenta produces these hormones to make the baby grow and during the last trimesters the hormone production levels are increased.

Different Types:

• Type A1: abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) but normal blood glucose levels during fasting and 2 hours after meals; diet modification is sufficient to control glucose levels
• Type A2: abnormal OGTT compounded by abnormal glucose levels during fasting and/or after meals; additional therapy with insulin or other medications is required

Oral Test (OGTT)

• Fasting blood glucose level ≥95 mg/dl (5.33 mmol/L)
• 1 hour blood glucose level ≥180 mg/dl (10 mmol/L)
• 2 hour blood glucose level ≥155 mg/dl (8.6 mmol/L)
• 3 hour blood glucose level ≥140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)

1999 WHO Diabetes criteria[15]||~ Condition ||~ 2 hour glucose ||~ Fasting glucose ||

	mmol/l(mg/dl)	mmol/l(mg/dl)
Normal	<7.8 (<140)	<6.1 (<110)
Impaired fasting glycaemia	<7.8 (<140)	≥ 6.1(≥110) & <7.0(<126)
Impaired glucose tolerance	≥7.8 (≥140)	<7.0 (<126)
Diabetes mellitus	≥11.1 (≥200)	≥7.0 (≥1

Ways of Controlling Gestational Diabetes:

• Insulin Therapy
• Oral Diabetic Medications
• Diet & Exercise

Effects on the baby:

Most mothers have no problem with the diabetes and have very healthy and totally successful children at birth.
When the mother refuses to take proper care of her diabetes the following may result:

• The child can have Macrosomia
  • Very large for the gestational age
• Hypoglycemia
  • Low blood sugar
• Increased rate for type 2 diabetes later in life
• Suffer from respiratory difficulty

How a Mother can Properly Take Care of Herself:

• Keep Glucose under control
• Eat with a normal healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain healthy weight
• Visit Doctor regualary

For More Information:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestational_diabetes
• http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/
• http://www.babycenter.com/0_gestational-diabetes_2058.bc
• http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/gestational_diabetes

Video:

Works Cited:

^ Metzger BE, Coustan DR (Eds.). Proceedings of the Fourth International Work-shop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care 1998; 21 (Suppl. 2): B1–B167.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestational_diabetes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUul9Iz6hhA&feature=fvw